Coalition politics and governance in South Africa epitomise instability. Coalition governments have not been responsible for creating the country’s dismally performing, unaccountable local governments, yet coalitions have often exacerbated the poor showings. Morio is in conversation with former chief of staff to mayor Herman Mashaba in the City of Johannesburg and the acting chief of staff in the office of the executive mayor Of the City of Tshwane Jordan Griffiths.